Brake gauge adapter



reisst s, 193s UNITED STATES ldtll GAUGE @ki Alvnl. Miller and Russell E. Miller, .1.

Mich..

'mimosa Maren 1v,

the friction material. More particularly, the inv vention is directed to the provision of what may he termed an' adapter in the form of a bushing which is capable of adjustment so that the tool con be used with wheel spindles or axle shafts universelly regardless o! variation in the form or size ci the spindles or shafts.

ln the scconipenying drawing:

Fig. l is s composite side elevation. in sectional view showing the tool mounted upon a wheel exis in s. position for gaming the brake shoes associated with the wheel.

Fig. 2 is s composite sectional view and side elevation oi the adapter.

Fig. 3 is sn end view thereof.

in Fig. l there is shown the usuel cover plete -l of a brake drum showing; the brake shoes 2, snd at 3 is the spindle. or drive shaft. ln the event of a. front wheel the element 3 is usually s spindle upon which a wheel is to be rotatably mounted.. ln the event of c. resr wheel the ele nient 3 is usually s. drive short to which e wheel keyed. m the cese of a front Wheel drive vehicie the conditions are just reversed. Tire tool has c. hun li designed to swivel around the Wheel axis a. radially extending body 5, and e. gauging instrument d designed to gauge the braise lining' or bre-ire drum, the gauging device being adjustable radially in the body 5. The details of this tool need not be gone into further as the same is covered by our Patent No. 1,898,136 of Februsry 2l, 1933..

t will be appreciated that spindles end esile elicits will vary in size, generally with the varintion in size end Weight of the vehicles, whether passenger vehicles or commercial Vehicles. An adopter, which forms the subject metter of tire present invention, is provided for use with the tool, so that the tool can be employed with. spines and sliaits of all sizes. The variation oi the spindles and shalt ends occur in diameter, in available length for receiving the tool, und in their tapered formation, and this adapter is de-1 signed so tiiet the tool may be mounted upon ell oi or spindles.

The eden-ter comprises, essentially, s. sleeve lo noting en interior diameter of sumcient sise to placed over any one or the variously sized erde shorts or spindles which will ordinerilr los encountered. Rototelily mount-ed unen sleeve 1930, Serial No. dli@ (CL Kin-183) are rings ll and l2 having exterior bearing sur-s feces designed to nicely nt the liuc i so tliot time tool can be rotatably mounted thereon,

Adjustable devices ore provided so tiret the sleeve lo may be mounted on variously sized spindles or shafts. As shown herein them devices comprise plungers reciprocably mounted in the sleeve 10, there being two sets of nlungers. preferably, and three to e. set. The plunge-rs ore illustrated et 13. These plungers are preferably normally held redislly outward, and this mcy no accomplished by leef springs 14. Esch is secured intermediate its length to the sleeve l0, ss by means of bolts or the like 15, and having an aperture in eeen end through which the pioneers cirtend. The plungers are shouldered, es et lo, ier this purpose. The rings ll ond l2 ere undercut and provided with com faces 17 so tlist noon relative rotation between the sleeve ond ring the nlungers are engaged by the ceros and urged radially mwordly against the action oi the springs 14. The rings may advantageously loe held in position on the deeve by moons of the sleeve lieing provided with c groove i8 for the reception of the end oi one or more screws i9 having" o. port designed to run in the groove.

'The cam roces upon the two rings ll l2 are preferably errenged so that the respective pluim'ers engaged thereby ere urged inwardly es the rings are roteted in opposite directions relstive to the sleeve lo. ln. conjunction with this orrcngement ocoil spring 2o muy loe disposed between the sleeves having its ends connected to the sleeves, as shot-vn in Fie. 2, and the tendency of this spring is to normally hold the rings .in e. position so that' the plunger-s ere disposed iii- Wei-(ily towards the ariel center of the sleeve lo. The tension ci the snring ci course tends to rotate the rings in opposite directions.

The sleeve lo moy advantageously loe split, es stt 2l, to provide for a. setting of the adjustment, and the portions lacing the slit ore shaped to permit the message therethrough i end to end oi the sleeve oi the rod 22, he. et one end o wedge 223. The wedge may loe integral with the rod or otherwise secured thereto. The opposite end el the rod is screw threaded :for the reception oi en operable nut 2e hnving e. wedge portion 25.

Tins adopter indy be applied to any spindle, tuile snet, erbor, or thelike within the limits of the sdopter construction vri-lich, however, is suoli cccomrnodste for ell spindles, esile shorts sind. arbore ordjnnrily encountered. To apply tire to one or the alcove mentioned elements, is pissed over the element, es siicvvn in Fig. l. Inasmuch as the spring 20 holds the plungers inwardly, it may be necessary to rotate the rings somewhat; so as to permit the plungers to recede radially outward and thereby fit over the shaft. When this is done the rings are rotated to urge the plungers inward into engagement with the shaft. It will be noted that the rings are independently rotatable so that one set of plungers may fit upon a shaft portion having a. diameter greater or less than the other. 'I'his is clearly shown in Fig. 1. With the plungers thus adjusted to the shaft, the thumb screw, or nut 24 is tightened expanding sleeve 10 against rings 11 and 12 thus resisting relative rotation between sleeve and rings so that the adapter as a unit is maintained upon the axis providing member. The brake gauge 2 may now be slipped over the rings and used in a manner well known to those versed in the art.

Sometimes an axis-providing member will be `encountered, the available length of which is not sufficient to permit the adapter to be placed thereon. In other words, the distance between the two sets and plungers of the adapter is too great for the available length of the axis-providing member. Accordingly. it is advantageous to provide the adapter, or rather the sleeve 10, with a series of apertures 30 for receiving plungers, and associated with each aperture a leaf spring 3l having a hole 32 through which the plungers may extend. These apertures may advantageously be three in number and circumferentially spaced between the other plungerreceiving apertures and springs. This construction may be termed an auxiliary plunger-receiving arrangement, and a set of plungers may be readily disposed in the apertures 30 and acted upon. by the springs 31 in a manner similar to springs 14. In this event another ring element may be employed in place of either ring element 11 or 12 which is proportioned to act upon the plungers located in the central apertures 30. It will be noted that the adapter bushing is very accurately fitted because of the three-point contact provided by the sets of plungers.

1. An adapter device for rotatably mounting a hubbed element on variously sized spindles or shafts, comprising a sleeve, radially adjustable members carried thereby, cam means including a pair of rings disposed on the outside of the sleeve and rotatably movable` for adjusting said radially movable members, and bearing surfaces on the exterior of the rings for the reception of the hubbed element.

2. An adapter device for rotatably mounting a hubbed element on variously sized spindles or shafts, comprising a sleeve, radially adjustable members carried thereby, cam means including a pair of spaced rings disposed on the outside of the sleeve and rotatably movable for adjusting said radially movable members, bearing surfaces on the exterior of the rings for the reception of the hubbed element, andmeans for holding the rings iixed in adjusted position.

3. An adapter device for rotatably mounting a hubbed element on variously sized spindles or shafts, comprising a sleeve, radially adjustable members carried thereby, cam means including a pair of spaced rings disposed on the outside of the sleeve and rotatably movable for adjusting said radially movable members, bearing surfaces on the exterior of the rings for the reception of the hubbed element, said sleeve being split lengthwise, and means to expand it against the rings to hold them in adjusted position.

4. An adapter device for rotatably mounting a hubbed element on variously sized spindles or shafts, comprising a sleeve, radially adjustable members carried thereby, cam means including pair of spaced rings disposed on the outside of the sleeve and rotatably movable for adjusting said radially movable members, bearing surfaces on the exterior of the rings for the reception of the hubbed element, said sleeve being split lengthwise, and wedge means for expanding the sleeve against the rings to hold them in adjusted position.

5. A device substantially for the purpose described, comprising a sleeve having apertures therein, plungers carried in the apertures and projecting through the sleeve walls, means tending normally to hold the plungers radially outward, means exterior of the sleeve for adjusting the plungers inwardly, and means mounted on the sleeve providing an exterior surface vadapted to receive an element to be rotatably mounted there- 0n;

6. A device substantially for the purpose described, comprising a sleeve having apertures therein, plungers carried in the apertures and projecting through the sleeve walls, spring means tending normally to hold the plungers radially outward, cam elemr .its mounted outside the sleeve and rotatable to move the plungers inwardly against the spring means.

l 7. A device substantially for the purpose described, comprising a sleeve having apertures therein, plungers carried in the apertures andprojecting through the sleeve walls, spring means tending normally to hold the plungers radially outward, cam elements mounted outside the sleeve and rotatable to move the plungers inwardly against the spring means, and means for holding .the cam members in adjusted position.

8. A device substantially for the purpose described, comprising a sleeve having apertures therein, plungers carried in the apertures and projecting through the sleeve walls, spring means tending normally to hold the plungers radially outward, cam elements mounted outside the sleeve and rotatable to move the plungers inwardly against the spring means, means for holding the cam members in adjusted position, said cam members comprising ring elements having exterior bearing surfaces for the reception of an element to be'rotatably mounted thereon.

9. A device substantially for the purpose described, comprising a split sleeve, radially movable plungers carried by the sleeve, rings outside the sleeve having cam surfaces for engaging the plungers, said rings being rotatable to adjust the plungers, spring means for holding thel plungers against said cani faces, and means for expanding the split sleeve to hold the rings in adjusted position. l

10. A device substantially for the purpose described comprising a sleeve, two sets of axially spaced plungers carried by the sleeve, there being three plungers to a set, rotatable rings carried by the sleeve having cam faces for radially adjusting the sets of plungers to seat them on a spindle or shaft, each set with three-point contact, said sleeve being split, means for expanding the sleeve against the rings to hold them in adjusted position, and bearing surfaces on said rings for the reception of an element to be rotatably mounted thereon.

11. In a gauge of the kind described, a structure comprising a sleeve adapted to loosely fit over a wheel spindle and a plurality of devices associated with the sleeve, said devices adapted to be brought into engagement with circumferentially spaced portions of the spindle to simultaneously center and clamp the sleeve upon the spindle. cam means for actuating the devices simultaneously, an m'm rotatably mounted upon said structure to extend normal to the axis of the spindle, and a gauge carried by said arm.

12. In a device of the class described, a structure having a central opening therethrough adapted to receive a wheel spindle, said structure comprising a plurality of sets of members, one set at each end of said opening and the members of each set being positioned equidistant about the periphery of and extending into said opening and movable radially with respect thereto, said structure also including means having cam surfaces, adapted when actuated to force said members inwardly of said opening whereby said structure may be clamped upon spindles of various dimensions, said structure being further provided with an exteriorly positioned bearing surface concentric with the spindle upon which said structure is clamped; an element adapted to be rotatably mounted upon said bearing surface, a support carried by said element and extending radially outwardly of said bearing surface, and a gauge member adjustably carried by said support.

13. In combination a brake lining gauge and a gauge supporting chuck, said chuck comprising cylindrical housing-sections, each section being provided with inwardly directed, symmetrically arranged cam formations, a keeper adapted to be enclosed within the housing sections and provided with pockets arranged radially and relatively with the cam formations, elements seated in the pockets to cooperate with the cam formations, and spring means for causing oppositely directed rotative tension upon the respective housing-sections.

i4. ln a device for use in the installation of brake linings for vehicle wheels a structure'comprising a sleeve adapted to loosely nt over a wheel spindle and a plurality of devices associated with the sleeve, said devices adapted to be brought into engagement with circumferentially spaced portions of the spindle to simultaneously center and clamp the sleeve upon the spindle, cam means for actuating the devices simultaneously, an arm rotatably mounted upon said structure to extend normal to the axis of the spindle, and an instrument for acting upon the adjacent brake lining material, said instrument being carried by the arm and positioned so as to overlie said adjacent brake lining.

15. A device for use in the installation of brake linings for vehicle wheels comprising a structure having a central opening therethrough adapted to receive a wheel spindle, said structure comprising a plurality of sets of members, one set at each end of said opening and the members of each set being positioned equidistant about the periphery of and extending into said opening and movable radially with respect thereto, said structure also including means having cam surfaces, yadapted when actuated to force said members inwardly of said opening whereby said structure may be ca'nped upon spindles of various dimensions, said structure being further provided with an exteriorly positioned bearing surface concentric with the spindle upon which said structure is clamped; an element adapted to be rotatably mounted upon said bearing surface, a support carried by said element and extending radially outwardly of said bearing surface, an instrument adapted for use in truing the brake linings and positioned to extend substantially parallel to the spindle axis so as to overlie the adjacent brake lining material, and. means for adiustably mounting the instrument on the support.

ALVIN L. MILLER.

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